Towel dispensing cabinet



Dec. 19, 1950 w. H. WEST 2,534,645

TOWEL DISPENSING CABINET Filed May 28, 194 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I791. fA

INVENTOR. W. H. WEST.

ATTORNEY Dec. 19, E950 w. H. WEST 2,534,645

TOWEL DISPENSING CABINET Filed May 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.w. H. WEST.

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a towel cabinet and a dispensing mechanismtherefor whereby towels are removed one by one. Mechanism of this typeis shown in my Patent 2,440,993 co pending herewith.

The object of the present invention is generally to improve and simplifythe construction and operation of towel dispensing cabinets; to providea manuall operated mechanism whereby towels are dispensed one by one; toprovide a dispensing mechanism which is automatically locked or doggedagainst further operation when a towel is dispensed and which requirespartial reversal of the mechanism to release the dog or lock before thenext towel can be dispensed; to provide a pair of cooperating rollerswhich require one rotation to dispense a towel, each roller beingprovided with an extended surface which first functions to engage thefree end of the towel and direct it to a central position between therotors, and second, functions frictionally to engage the free end of thetowel and to feed it out through a dispensing slot to a point where itcan be grasped and pulled out of the cabinet;

and further, to provide a dispensing mechanism l which requires the useof a folded towel.

The invention is shown b way of illustration in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the towel cabinet;

'Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross section of the same shown on anenlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a folded towel;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the towel showing it unfolded and flat;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the rotors;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken on line VI--VI, said view showing thegears and stop mechanism removed;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation showing a hand crank, the gearsrotated thereby, and the stop mechanism;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross section of the lower end of the towelcabinetshowing the position of the rotors with relation to the position of themechanism shown in Fig. 7

Fig. -9 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the stop mechanism inanother position;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing the position of the rotorwith relation-to the position of the mechanism in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a section ands'ide elevation taken on line XI-XI of Fig. 2;and

Fig. 1-2 is a perspective view of the stop'lever.

Referring to the drawings in-detail, and particularly Figs. 1 and 2, Aindicates in general a cabinet which is adapted to contain a stack ofpaper towels, and B a hand crank which actuates a mechanism whereby thetowels are dispensed one b .one. The cabinet has a back section 2 andafront'coveril which is hinged as at 4. The

cabinet also has sides 5 and a bottom consisting of two sections 6-5spaced apart to form a dispensing slot i. Inner side walls 5a areprovided to form spaces '8 and 9, one at each side of the cabinet. Theseinner side walls form bearing walls fora pair of rotors generallyindicated at C and C which will hereinafter be described.

The stack of paper towels indicated at D is supported by a pair ofshelf-like members lt-40 which extend between the inner side walls toand each shelf is widest at the middle of its length and becomesnarrower toward each end as indicated at ltd-ma. The rotors C and C aredisposed below the shelves -l-ll!9 and each is provided with acombination scoop and feeder whereby the towels are dispensed one byone. The rotors are actuated through the crank B and a pair of gear Hand i2, and means are provided to automaticallystop rotation of thecrank, the gears and the rotors so that only one towel can be dispensedat a time. This is accomplished as follows. The gears H and i2 intermeshand are disposed in the space 9 at one side of the housing. A commonshaft M carries the crank B and the gear 1 i. This shaft is journaled inand projects through the side walls 5 and 5c and it is also connected tothe rotor C so that when the crank is rotated, gear H and rotor C willrotate in unison and so will the rotor C as it is connected to rotate inunison withthe gear l2 which intermeshes with gear H.

One end of rotor C is carried by shaft I l while the other end iscarried by shaft l5. Rotor 'C issu-pported by a shaft it which alsocarries the gear 12, While the other end of said rotor is supported b ashaft ll.

' One rotation of crank B, gears H and i2, and the rotors C and *C isrequired to engage the lowermost towel to be dispensed and to feed itthrough the slot 7 to a point below said slot where it can be graspedand pulled out of the cabinet. When one revolution is completed, thestop mechanism becomes effective. This mechanism-is constructed-asfollows. Pivoted on a-pin lflcarried by the inner wall ta isa lever it(see Figs. 7 and 9) and limiting the-pivotal movement of the lever is anarcuate guide member Mia which is provided withstop lugs at each end asindicated at 2| and 23,-respective1y. Formed at the lower end of thelever and extending substantially crosswise of the same is a main stoplug 22, and formed just above said lug at one side of the lever isasecondary stop lug-23. Projeoting from the adjacent face of gear 12 is apin 24 which is substantially half round incrosssection. Lever t9 andpin .24 normally assume the position shown in Fig. 7,-crank B the dottedline position shown in the same drawing, and the rotors C and C theposition shown in Fig. 8, when the towel is to be dispensed. By graspingthe hand crank and turning it clockwise, it is obvious that the gears IIand 12 will rotate and so will the rotors C and C. During this onerotation a towel is engaged and fed out of the slot l to a point whereit can be grasped and pulled out of the cabinet. As the crank Bapproaches the end of its revolution, pin 2:; will engage the upper faceof the secondary stop lug 23 of the lever. As the pin 24 issubstantially half round in cross-section, it will pass by said stop lugand will swing the lever to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 9 andwill almost immediately engage the main stop lug 22. This stop lug isarcuate in shape, and when the half round pin engages it, the pin tendsto seat in the center of said arcuate stop lug and in doing so it swingsthe lever back about the pivot [8 to assume the full line position shownin Fig. 9.

The crank has now completed slightly more than one revolution, andbefore another towel can be dispensed, the direction of rotation must bereversed. Hence, the crank is pulled or rotated in an anti-clockwisedirection and when it is so rotated, it almost immediately engages thelower surface of the secondary stop lug 23 and thereby swings lever i9back to the full line position shown in Fig. 7. In this position itengages the stop lug 20 of the arcuate guide [a, and further rotation ofthe crank is stopped.

The mechanism is now set in its original position 9 and ready for thedispensing of another towel, and this is accomplished by again rotatingthe crank B in a clockwise rotation.

The type of towel to be dispensed by the cabinet here shown is bestshown in Figs. 3 and 4. The towel, when flattened out, is shown at 26 inFig. 4. However, before it is placed in the cabinet, it is folded on thescore lines at 21-4! shown to form an intermediate section and a top anda bottom fold. It should also be noted that each end of the towel is cutin an angle so that one end of the top and bottom fold will extendfurther than the other. This is important as will hereinafter bedescribed. The towels are not inter folded when placed in the cabinet.merely placed thereon, one on top of the other, and they rest on theshelves 19. These are spaced apart a considerable distance as shown inFigs. 8 and 10, and as such there is a tendency for the center portionof the stacked towels to bow or sag downwardly. In doing so thelowermost fold of the lowermost towel tends to drop or bend below theshelves if or assume the position shown at 29 in Fig. 8. In order toincrease this bending tendency of the lowermost fold, a score line isformed on each fold as indicated at 27a.

The rotors C and C are each provided with a member which serves twofunctionsfirst that of engaging the downwardly bending lower fold 29 ofthe lowermost towel and directing it to a center point between therotor, and second that of feeding the towel through the slot and to apoint below the slot I as shown at 29 in Fig. where the towel may bepulled out of the cabinet. The members which perform these two functionsare hook-like rotors indicated at 39-39. They are each identical andthey extend from end to end of each rotor. The inner surfaces have ascooplike action (see Fig. 2) as one or another of the members willengage the downwardly bent fold 29 of the towel and direct it to acentral position between the rotors as shown in dotted lines at 29a (seeFig. 10). The outer surfaces of the members 3!! then engage the toweland function They are as rollers which frictionally grip the towel andfeed it down through the slot to the position shown at '29, and it maythen be pulled out.

The rotors are fixed one to the shaft 14 and one to the shaft 16, and asthese shafts are connected by gears and the gears are actuated by thehand crank B, it is obvious that the rotors will always assume fixedpositions with relation to each other. Their normal position when atowel is to be dispensed is shown in Fig. 8. When they have engaged andscooped the towel and brought it to the position shown at 29a, theyassume the dotted line position shown at Fig. 10. Further rotation feedsthe towel through the slot to a point where it can be grasped and pulledout.

The stop mechanism employed is exceedingly simple and employs only a fewparts, to wit the lever l9 and the arcuate guide member [9a togetherwith the pin 24. The movement of the lever is positive as it is actuatedby the pin 24 and the movement of the lever is furthermore limited bythe stops 2B and 2|. The rotors are identical in construction and arealso simple. The portions of the rotor indicated at 3i3l are merelyconnectors between each end of the respective rotors and the members 30are extensions of the members 3|. Both the members 38 and 3| willpresent exterior surfaces which are formed on a true radius from thecenter of rotation of the rotor, the outer faces of the members 3U3Gbeing such a radial distance from their center of rotation that theywill grip and frictionally feed the towel when engaged by thesesurfaces. Furthermore, there is a slight spring action so that theradius may, if anything, be slightly increased towards the pointsindicated at 32-32. This may be desirable as it increases the frictionalgrip of the members 30 when feeding the towel. When the rotors reach theposition shown in Fig. 10, the rounded outer surfaces of the members3l3l function as guides while a towel is being withdrawn.

It was previously stated that the shelves Ill-49 tapered from the middletowards the ends. The angular outer edges Ilia thus formed are disposedon the same angle as the angular cut at each end of the towel, and thuspermit the widest end of the lowermost fold to bend down below theshelves, this bending action being further increased by the score lines27a. The towels when constructed and folded as shown in Figs. 3 and 4may be placed up-side-down or downside-up and they may be placed end forend, such changing of position making no difference whatsoever as whatis the upper fold when placed in one position becomes the lower foldwhen placed in another position. The only difference is that the lowerfold projecting as shown at 29 will be reversed and will be engaged bythe right hand member 36 rather than the left hand member 30 as shown inFig. 8.

By referring to Figs. 7 and 9 it will be noted that a pawl 4| is shownwhich engages gear [2. A lug 42 forming a part of the pawl or securedthereto engages a cam carried by gear 12. This cam raises the pawl outof engagement with the teeth of the gear during the reverse movement ofthe crank and gears, but at any other position the pawl engages theteeth of the gear and prevents reverse rotation except at the propertime, and while this and other features of the invention have been moreor less specifically described and illustrated, it should be understoodthat changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claimsand that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may besuch as the experience or judgment of the manufacturer may dictate orvarying conditions or uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a towel dispensing cabinet of the character described, a pair ofcooperating rotors mounted for rotation on fixed axes for engaging adownwardly hanging fold on a towel and for feeding it through adischarge slot formed in the cabinet, said rotors both having a hooklikeraised portion extending substantially from end to end thereof, saidraised portions being circumferentially arcuate in cross section todefine a radially inner surface and radially outer surface, saidradially inner surface of said hooklike portion engaging the downwardlyhanging end of a towel fold and directing it to a central point betweenthe rotors, and said radially outer surfaces of said hook-like portionsfrictionally engaging opposite sides of the towel fold and feeding itout through said slot.

2. In a towel dispensing cabinet of the character described, a pair ofcooperating rotors for engaging a downwardly hanging fold on a towel andfor feeding it through a discharge slot formed in the cabinet asufficient distance to permit it to be grasped to pull the towel out ofthe cabinet, a pair of gears connecting the rotors to cause them torotate in unison, a manually operated crank for rotating one of thegears, a lever pivotally mounted adjacent one of the gears, a main and asecondary stop lug formed on said lever, a pin projecting from the faceof an adjacent gear, said pin during rotation of said gear engaging anupper face of the main lug and swinging the lever about its pivot topermit the pin to pass by said lug, said pin engaging the secondary lugand seating thereon to stop rotation of the gears when they have madeone revolution, said hand crank being reversible in rotation and whenreversible rotates the gears in a reverse direction to bring the pininto engagement with a lower surface of the main lug and again swing thelever about its pivot, and means to limit said last named swingingmovement of the lever.

3. In a towel dispensing cabinet of the character described, a pair ofcooperating rotors for engaging a downwardly hangingfold on a towel andfor feeding it through a discharge slot formed in the cabinet asufficient distance to permit it to be grasped to pull the towel out ofthe cabinet, a pair of gears connectingthe rotors to cause them torotate in unison, a manually operated crank for rotating one of thegears, a lever pivotally mounted adjacent one of the gears, a main and asecondary stop lug formed on said lever, a pin projecting from the faceof an adjacent gear, said pin during rotation of said gear engaging anupper face of the main lug and swinging the lever about its pivot topermit the pin to pass by said lug, said pin engaging the secondarylugand seating thereon to stop rotation of the gears when they have madeon revolution, said hand crank being reversible in rotation and whenreversible rotates the gears in a reverse direction to bring the pininto engagement with a lower surface of the main lug and again swing thelever about its pivot, means to limit said last named swinging movementof the lever, a pawl normally engaging one of the gears and preventingreverse rotation thereof, and a cam on one of the gears engageable withthe pawl to raise it ofi the teeth of the gears when the pin moves in areverse direction to bring the pin into engagement with the lower faceof the main lug on the lever.

4. In a sheet towel dispenser, means for supporting a towel sheet with afreely extending portion, a pair of rotors spaced from said portion,circumferentially extending arcuate hooks on said rotors for deflecting,engaging and advancing towel sheets, and means for operating said rotorsin unison and in symmetry to deflect said portion by contact with theinner surface of one of said hooks into a position to be engaged andadvanced between the outer surfaces of said arcuate hooks.

5. In a towel dispensing cabinet having a dispensingslot in the bottomthereof and having a compartment formed therein for the reception of astack of separately folded paper towels with straight ends, a pair ofshelves disposed above and to either side of said slot to support thestacked towels, said shelves being spaced apart to permit the lower foldon each towel when it reaches the lowermost position to hang downwardlybetween the shelves, a pair of rotors disposed beneath the shelves forrotation on fixed axes parallel to said slot, mechanism for rotating therotors in phase, each of said rotors having in cross section from end toend an arcuate circumferentially extending hook-like member functioningduring a portion of the rotation of the rotors to engage with its innersurface the downwardly hanging towel fold and to direct said fold towardsaid dispensing slot, and the outer surfaces of the hook-like membersduring another portion of rotation of the rotors engaging the towel foldbetween them to feed the towel through said slot.

6. In a towel dispensing cabinet having a dispensing slot in the bottomthereof and having a compartment formed therein for the reception of astack of separately folded paper towels with straight ends, a pair ofshelves disposed above and to eithe side of said slot to support thestacked towels, said shelves beingspaced apart to permit the lower foldon each towel when it reaches the lowermost position to hang downwardlybetween the shelves, a pair of rotors disposed beneath the shelves forrotation on fixed axes, mechanism for rotating the rotors in phase, eachof said rotors having a uniform cross section from end to end andincluding a portion of small radius and a circumferentially extendinghooklike arcuate portion of large radius, said hooklike functioningduring a portion of the rotation of the rotor to engage and direct saiddownwardly hanging towel fold toward said dispensing slot, and thehook-like portion of the two rotors during another portion of rotationof the rotors engaging said directed towel fold between them to feedsaid towel through said slot, and said portion of small radiusfunctioning to guide the towel from the shelves toward the dispensingslot.

WILFRED H. WEST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,362,817 Parsons Dec. 21, 19201,433,862 Wheeler Oct. 31, 1922 2,440,993 West May 4, 1948

